Selective laser solidification apparatus and method
AssigneeRenishaw PLC
InventorBen Ian FERRAR
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A selective laser solidification apparatus including: a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited, a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a gas flow direction, a laser scanning unit for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form at least one object and a processing unit for selecting a scanning sequence of the laser beam based on the gas flow direction.
Claims15
A selective laser solidification apparatus, comprising;
- a powder bed onto which a powder layer can be deposited, a gas flow unit for passing a flow of gas over the powder bed along a gas flow direction, a laser scanning unit for scanning a laser beam over the powder layer to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layer to form one or more objects and a processing unit for selecting a scanning sequence of the laser beam based on the gas flow direction.
A method of selecting a scanning sequence of a laser beam in a selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a laser beam over the deposited powder to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layers, wherein a gas flow is passed over the powder bed in a gas flow direction, the method comprising selecting a scanning sequence of the laser beam based on the gas flow direction.
Apparatus for selecting a scanning sequence of a laser beam in a selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a laser beam over the deposited powder to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layers, wherein a gas flow is passed over the powder bed in a gas flow direction, the apparatus comprising a processing unit, a display and a user input device, the processing unit arranged to receive data on one or more objects, including a location of the objects on a build platform, cause the display to display an image of areas to be solidified, wherein a debris fallout zone is projected from each area, and receive a user input from the user input device of an order in which the areas are to be scanned.
A data carrier for selecting a scanning sequence of a laser beam in a selective laser solidification process, in which one or more objects are formed layer-by-layer by, repeatedly, depositing a layer of powder on a powder bed and scanning a laser beam over the deposited powder to selectively solidify at least part of the powder layers, wherein a gas flow is passed over the powder bed in a gas flow direction, the data carrier having instructions thereon, which, when executed by a processor, cause the processor to receive data on one or more objects, including a location of the objects on a build platform, cause a display to display an image of areas to be solidified, wherein a debris fallout zone is projected from each area, and receive a user input from a user input device of an order in which the areas are to be scanned.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.